California Obituaries, San Bernardino County
"Big Bear Grizzly"; Submitted by Peggy Hooper
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Quinton Russell �Bud� Barnes
Published: Thursday, November 4, 2010 5:04 PM PDT
Longtime Big Bear resident Quinton Russell �Bud� Barnes, age 92, reached the end of the
trail Oct 7, 2010, in Sitka, Alaska, where he had resided among three generations of family
and many new friends for the past eight months.
Born in Redwood Falls, Minn., to Eunice and Lyle Barnes on July 13, 1918, his youthful
years were divided between MN and CA. He was a graduate of Anaheim Union HS, Fullerton
JC, and San Diego Civilian Conservation Corps. In the spring of �40 his love of outdoor life
and adventure drew him north to Anchorage, Alaska, on a steamer in steerage. There he soon
found employment as a surveyor for the CAA (forerunner of FAA) lining out airfields in the
Alaskan wilds for the Lend-Lease program of WWII. His four years of working in remote
locations under pioneer conditions remained among his most treasured memories. He
delighted in sharing them.
Once airfields were in place he returned to CA to marry his sweetheart, Beverly Akers, and
enlist in the U.S. Navy. He completed technical training as a radioman and electrician just as
the war ended. Afterward, he resumed a career in civil engineering that took him and his
family to many locales in the west and two foreign countries, moving every few years. Then,
at mid-life, to spare his family the uprooting of heavy construction work, he purchased a
business in a familiar family haunt, Big Bear Lake in the mountains of Southern California.
He and his wife, Bee, owned Community Market for the next 45 years. His five children
all had an opportunity to learn from his-work ethics, generosity, integrity, kindness and
dedicated community service in action. As a member of a then all-volunteer firefighter
team he would fly out the door in his grocer�s apron whenever the siren sounded. His
involvement ranged from the fire department to Community Concert Association organizer,
to Boy Scouts, to delivering Meals-on-Wheels in later years.
Quinton was also a member of the Masonic Lodge, Elks Lodge, Honorary Mayor of Big Bear
City, past president of East Valley Improvement Association, and 2003 recipient of Big Bear
Rotary�s Eagle of Excellence Award. He was a living example of quality vs quantity in life.
His most dedicated service was to the United Methodist Church of Big Bear Valley, as a
founding and life member, deacon, choir member and chairman of the building committee
for the current sanctuary. He and Bee also served many years as leaders and docents in the
Big Bear Historical Society.
Bud made friends easily and was widely beloved for his trustworthy, generous nature and
good humor. He was preceded in death by Beverly �Bee�, his wife of 64 years, by his sister,
Ruth, his son-in-law, David, and his granddaughter-in-law, Beth.
He is survived by his sister, Muriel Steele, sons, Frank, Russell, and Bill Barnes, and
daughters, Kara Knox and Talley Hoffman. Their families include grandchildren, Kevin, Erika,
Cody, Chris, Tracy, Eric, and Kimberly; great-grandchildren, Kobi, Anan, Daven and Bryce;
nephew, Tony Skimin, and niece, Lois Gosch.
A memorial service will be held next spring in Big Bear, late April, at a date to be announced.
In honoring his memory the family suggests donations to United Methodist Church of Big Bear,
PO Box 2590, Big Bear City, CA 92314; Big Bear Valley Historical Society, PO Box 513, Big Bear
City, CA 92314 or any other organization he supported. Family may be contacted at 718 Lake
St, Sitka, AK 99835, or PO Box 2808, BBL, CA 92315